Congregation Shevet Achim

About Congregation Shevet Achim

📖 About this Christian tradition

The Orthodox Church is the second-largest Christian communion in the world and the living expression of Eastern Christianity, the direct heir of the ancient churches founded by the apostles in Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople. Its history shares roots with the Catholic Church up to the Great Schism of 1054, when theological, liturgical and governance differences between East and West led to separation. Since then the Orthodox preserve, in their own words, the faith of the first seven ecumenical councils without additions.

There is no Orthodox pope: the Church is a family of autocephalous churches in full communion, each with its own patriarch or synod. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople holds the first place of honor, followed by the ancient patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, and by the great Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Georgian and Greek churches, among others. This diversity explains why Greek, Antiochian, Russian or Romanian Orthodox parishes can coexist in a single city, all faithful to a single faith.

The heart of Orthodox life is the Divine Liturgy, attributed in its principal forms to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. In it choral chant, incense, icons and processions come together, and the seven mysteries or sacraments are celebrated: baptism by triple immersion, Chrismation administered immediately after, the Eucharist, confession, marriage, holy orders and the anointing of the sick. An Orthodox parish is not just a church building: it is a praying community, a school of tradition and a house open to the pilgrim.

🕯️ Feast days, calendar and devotions

All Orthodox life revolves around Pascha, the Resurrection feast, considered the feast of feasts. Its date is calculated according to the Council of Nicea reckoning applied to the Julian calendar, so it usually falls on a different date from the Western Easter. Around it are arranged the Twelve Great Feasts of the liturgical year, which recall the mysteries of Christ and of the Theotokos: the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Exaltation of the Cross, the Entrance into the Temple, the Nativity, Theophany (the Baptism of the Lord), the Meeting, the Annunciation, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Transfiguration and the Dormition.

Fasting marks four major periods: the Great Lent before Pascha, the Apostles' Fast in June, the Theotokos Fast in the first half of August, and the Nativity Fast or Orthodox Advent. To these are added the Wednesdays and Fridays of every week, in remembrance of the betrayal and the crucifixion.

Devotion to the Theotokos, the Mother of God, runs through the whole of Orthodox prayer, alongside the veneration of the saints and angels. Icons are not adornments but windows to heaven: before them a candle is lit, a small bow is made and the edge is kissed as a greeting to the person represented. The monastic tradition of Mount Athos, Optina or the monasteries of Romania keeps alive the practice of Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer.

⛪ How to prepare for a visit

The Sunday Divine Liturgy usually begins between 9 and 10 in the morning and lasts about an hour and a half; many parishes also celebrate Vespers on Saturday evening. If you have never attended, arrive a few minutes early: it is customary to light a candle before the icons, make a brief bow and then take a place in the church. In some Greek or Russian parishes the faithful stand for much of the service, although there are always pews for those who need them.

No special dress is required, but modest clothing is appreciated; in more traditional parishes, women often cover their heads with a scarf. Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox who have prepared through fasting and recent confession, but all visitors may come forward at the end of the Liturgy to receive antidoron, the blessed bread that the priest distributes as a sign of hospitality.

❓ Frequently asked questions

✍️ Curated by Benjamín Restrepo · Last updated: 2025-07-25
Information verified by the EncuentraIglesias editorial team